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She’s our family goddess

In this age of malls and social networking, when life zips past so fast that you can hardly keep pace with it, Durga Puja is the time when families and neighbours interact and connect with each other; it’s the time when tradition takes over and Kolkata gives in to nostalgia.

Though community Durga pujas, with their high budget theme affairs, attract huge crowds, it is the pujas organised in the mansions of the old zamindar families that see Devi Chandika come alive.

As the sun went down on the nawabs of Bengal, with Lord Clive winning the Battle of Plassey in 1757, we formally accepted British suzerainty. But did you know that this very battle was also responsible for the beginning of one of the oldest family pujas in the city?

Lord Clive At Puja

In this battle, Raja Nabakrishna Deb sided with Lord Clive and helped him win the war. To celebrate this victory, Deb started the Durga Puja at his residence on 36, Nabakrishna Deb Street. This puja is popularly believed to be the first family puja in the city, (though history says that the Durga Puja started by Lakshmikanto Ray Majumdar of the Sabarna Choudhury family of Barisha in 1610 is the old-
est).

Deb’s descendants have kept the tradition of worshipping Durga, following Bengal’s Nandikeshwar style, where the Goddess is adorned with Daaker Saaj.

The other unique feature is that Durga’s vahana, the lion, is horse-faced. Only those Sanskrit-literate pundits who have acquired the title of Smrititirtha or above, are eligible to conduct this puja. If you decide to drop in, do remember that once upon a time, even Lord Clive participated in this puja.

Talking of horse-faced lions, you can also see one at Nilmoni Mitra’s house near Beadon Street. This puja was started by Radhakrishna Mitra in 1804. If you happen to be there, you will notice that Durga sits on a throne, and is not riding a lion as is normally seen elsewhere. Every year, a little girl is selected to be worshipped as the goddess, following the Kumari Puja tradition.

Nearby, at 67 E, Beadon Street, at the residence of Chatubabu-Latubabu, you will come across another digression. Durga here is not accompanied by her daughters, Lakshmi and Saraswati, but by her friends, Jaya and Bijoya, who, legend has it, helped her win the war against Mahishasura. Keeping with tradition and shastras, the family members also buy the rare Nilkantha bird, which is released after Bijoya Dashami, to carry the message to Shiva that Durga is on her way back home.

Another family that arranges to buy the Nilkantha bird is the Haatkhola Dutta family on 78, Nimtola Street. This family puja started way back in 1716.

And then there are the Roys near Kumartuli Park, who celebrate the puja every year like a wedding. Invitation cards are printed at least a month ahead of the puja and are both hand-delivered and sent by
post.These cards contain a road map telling the guests how to reach the puja address. Car parking stickers are also sent along with the invitations.

On 32, Darpanarayan Street, is the famous Mullick House of Pathuriaghata, whose puja is over 200 years old. Here, you will come across a Durga being cradled on husband Shiva’s lap. They are accompanied by Lakshmi, Saraswati, Jaya and Bijoya. The absence of the asura and the buffalo is noticeable. But, you are not allowed to take your camera inside.

On Saptami morning, if you visit Basumullicks’ puja on Surya Sen Street, you will get to see how Kalabou, said to be the consort of Ganesha, is bathed with water from 21 huge metal urns.

During the sandhi puja, a few rounds of ammunition are fired in the air. Similarly, at the Kailash Bhavan puja on Kailash Bose Street, water from the rivers of every major tirtha sthal or pilgrim centre, is collected to bathe Kalabou.

Most of these families have done away with animal sacrifice. The Ghoshals of Pataldanga stopped it way
back in 1889 after the sacrificial animal managed to fox the pundits and escaped from the haarikaath, or sacrificial post.

People of Bagbazar believe that the puja of the Haldars is the oldest family puja in Kolkata, dating back almost 400 years, when Prankrishna Haldar started it. The idol is made of black stone and is the family’s kula devi. Durga here is accompanied only by Jaya and Bijoya.

This Is Different

In both the Daw family’s puja at Darjipara, and the Dhar family’s puja at Patuatola, you will find Durga in the Abhaydatri pose rather than the destructive Mahishasuramardini pose.

But the image that is worshipped at the Thanthania Dutta family home is completely different — Shiva sitting on the back of a white ox, carrying Durga on his lap. At the De family puja near Calcutta Medical College, you will see Durga accompanied by Rama, Hanuman and Sugreev, probably telling the story of Akaal-bodhan.

And if you want to be a part of the puja attended by none other than Ramakrishna Paramhansa and his wife, do visit the puja that was started by Rani Rashmoni at her residence on S N Banerjee Road.